Attachment for high chairs



Jan. 17, 1967 o. L. DECKER ATTACHMENT FOR HIGH CHAIRS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 FIG. 3 INVENTOR. RBA L.DECKER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,298,736 ATTACHMENT FOR HIGH CHAIRS Orba L. Decker, 748 Larchmont Drive,

Colma, Calif. 95613 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,273 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-182) This invention relates to attachments for high chairs and more particularly is concerned with new and useful improvements in means adapted to be mounted on high chairs for catching f ood or other articles which may fall from the tray of the high chair.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an attachment of the type described which is simplified in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide such an attachment which is capable of being mounted on substantially all existing high chairs.

Another object is to provide such an attachment which conveniently folds into a flat, compact package.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a pair of L-shaped frame members adapted for removable connection on a high chair. These frames are latched together at the front and carry flexible links at the rear portion thereof by means of which they may be secured together around the legs of the chair. The L-shaped frame members have arms rotatably mounted thereon which detachably support a drop catch when in use but which are foldable inwardly when not in use to form a flat, compact package.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a childs high chair and illustrates the present attachment mounted thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view looking down on the present attachment, taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of a front portion of the two L-shaped frames, this view being broken away to show details of the latch means,

Referring now in particular to the drawings, and first to FIGURE 1, the improved attachment hereof is adapted for use with a conventional type of childs high chair 10 having a seat 12 supported by four downwardly divergent legs 14. This type of chair has a back rest 16, arms 18, and a tray 20 supported on the arms. The chair also has a foot rest 22 secured to the front legs 14. The present invention is intended for removable attachment to such a high chair and is designed to catch spillage from the tray 20.

With reference now to FIGURES l and 2, the present attachment comprises a pair of frames 26 and 28 of L-shape, having side portions 30 and 32 and front portions 34 and 36, respectively.

The front frame portions 34 and 36 have latch means for detachably connecting the frame members together, such latch means being shown in detail in FIGURE 5. To accomplish the desired latching, the front frame portion 34 is hollow and receives in telescoping relation an extension rod 38 integrated with front frame portion 36. Secured to the outer surface of the frame portion 36, as by welding, and projecting beyond the end thereof in the same direction as rod 38 is .a spring catch 40 having a Patented Jan. 17, 1967 detent 42 adapted for engagement with apertures 44 in the frame portion 34. The construction of spring catch 40 and its detent 42 is such that the two frame portions 34 and 36 may be freely moved together in telescoping relation with the detent 42 riding over the apertures, The detent, however, prevents movement of the frame portions in the opposite directions unless the spring catch 40 is manually released. Thus, the attachment is readily installed on a high chair by moving the frame members 26 and 28 against opposite sides of the chair with the portions 34- and 36 engaging in telescoping relation.

The rear portions of the frame members 26 and 28 have flexible straps 46 and 48, respectively, such as leather or plastic, secured thereto and provided with buckle means 50 for cinching the straps together and securely anchoring the frame members on the chair.

Rotatably mounted at the front corners of the frames 26 and 28 and also at the rearward ends thereof are arms 52, FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 which support a drop catch 54. Each of the arms 52 has an eye 56 at its inner end rotatably mounted on the frame members 26 and 28. In each mounting engagement of the arms a pair of guide plates or washers 58 are secured integrally to the frame 26 and 28 in an angled disposition such as to direct the arms diagonally outwardly from the corners. The plates 58 are welded or otherwise secured integrally to the frames.

The upper end of drop catch 54 is secured to the upper end of arms 52 on the outer sides thereof by means of snap-type connectors 60. The lower end of the drop catch 54 is attached to the frame members 26 and 28, also by snap-type connectors 60. Through the use of this type of connector, the drop catch 54 may be attached to or detached from the arms 52 when desired. The drop catch is preformed to extend around three sides of the chair comprising the front and lateral sides.

As best seen in FIGURE 3 the connectors are arranged on the drop catch such that when the latter is secured to the arms 52 and frame members 26, 28, it is somewhat loosely suspended to form a trough 62 at the bottom to hold the articles deposited in the drop catch. For this purpose the upper connector portions 60 on the drop catch are located on the inner surface of said drop catch and the lower connect-or portions are located on the outer surface. Thus to engage the said lower connector portions with their respective connector portions on the frame members 26 and 28, the drop catch must be folded upwardly. Such arrangement forms the trough 62.

In the use of the present attachment, the frames 26 and 28 are installed on the high chair by engaging the telescoping ends 34 and 36 into a locked position and then buckling the strap portions 46 and 48 across the back side of the chair, the arms 52 first being swung to an outwardly directed position. In this latter regard, it is preferred that the pivotal connection between the arms 52 and frame members 26, 28 be a snug fit whereby the said arms will remain in any adjusted position around the frame members. Such attachment is preferably installed below the foot rest 22.

After the frame has been mounted on the chair the drop catch 54 is attached to the arms 52 and the frame members 26 and 28 by means of the snap connectors 60. The arms are limited in their outwardly angled movement by the drop catch 54. The attachment is taken off the chair by reversing the procedure described above. In removing the attachment, the frames 26 and 28, as well as the drop catch 54, are separated from each other, and if it is desired to handle or store said attachment as one piece, they may be reassembled and the arms 52 rotated inwardly for disposal interior of the frame members 26 and 28. Since the pivotal connections between the arms and the frame members are snug connections, the arms will remain in their folded position for convenience and storage. The inward folded position of the arms 52 is designated by phantom lines in FIGURE 2.

It is to be understood that the form. of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts, as well as its use, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. For example, the present attachment may be associated with chairs other than high chairs,

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A drop catch attachment for chairs having a seat and supporting legs, comprising a pair of L-sha-ped frame members each adapted to project along one side of a chair at the legs and across a portion of the front at the legs, latch means on said frame members for detachably connecting the front projecting portions of the two frame members together, means detachably connecting the frame members together at the rear of the chair, a plurality of arms mounted on said frame members in an upwardly and outwardly projecting relation to said frame members,

. frame members in an upwardly and outwardly projecting relation to said frame members, and a drop catch connected to said arms for catching articles dropped from above.

3. An article catching attachment for high chairs having a seat and supporting legs, comprising a pair of frame members, means on said frame members for attaching the latter to the legs of the .chair, a plurality of arms mounted on said frame members in an upwardly and outwardly projecting relation to said frame members, and a drop catch removably connected to said arms.

4. In combination, a high chair having a seat, supporting legs, and a tray; a pair of frame members, latch means on said frame members for connecting the latter together in mounted engagement on the chair below the tray, a plurality of arms mounted on said frame members in an upwardly and outwardly projecting relation to said frame members, and a drop catch connected to said arms for catching articles dropped from the tray.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,570 12/1906 Jackson et al. 297-182 1,050,205 1/ 1913 Conley 297-182 1,309,343 7/1919 Thomas 297-182 1,377,860 5/1921 Thomas 297--182 2,263,863 11/1941 Wolf 297182 X 2,540,685 2/1951 Mayer 297182 2,585,434 2/ 1952 Caponera 297182 2,607,052 8/1952 Le Roy 297182 X 2,827,953 3/1958 Jones 297-182 2,938,574 5/1960 Brown 297182 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. JAMES T. Mc CALL, Examiner. 

2. AN ARTICLE CATCHING ATTACHMENT FOR HIGH CHAIRS HAVING A SEAT AND SUPPORTING LEGS, COMPRISING A PAIR OF FRAME MEMBERS, LATCH MEANS ON SAID FRAME MEMBERS FOR CONNECTING THE LATTER TOGETHER IN MOUNTED ENGAGEMENT ON THE LEGS OF THE CHAIR, A PLURALITY OF ARMS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME MEMBERS IN AN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY PROJECTING RELATION TO SAID FRAME MEMBERS, AND A DROP CATCH CONNECTED TO SAID ARMS FOR CATCHING ARTICLES DROPPED FROM ABOVE. 